Night-bag problem with condom catheter

Dad uses the condom catheter system for urination at night so that both he and Mom can get an uninterrupted night's sleep. It's a two-piece system including the night bag and the condom itself. The night bags are supposed to last for about two weeks before needing replacement. However, Mom is finding that the bags can fail after three, four, or five nights, and she's wondering why.

Is anyone here familiar with this system? Mom cleans the bags with white vinegar, as instructed by the medical-supply person who sold her the systems. Perhaps she's using too much vinegar, which is eating through the anti-reflux valve? Is she getting bags from a defective lot or are these things just notoriously short-lived? Does the bag have to be emptied _immediately_ upon being removed? Is there a special way to store the bag prior to cleaning? Are there guidelines anywhere?

I see that no one has answered this possibly because they do not use this type of system. I don't know if it is too hard on your mom to use diapers but I have discovered an incredible one through trial and error with all brands and several types so just in case..

Prevail PM is the most excellent product on the market IMO! You use only one, it feels soft, has aloe and holds either 5 or 7 cups of urine...I have forgotten which. they are expensive if you buy just a few which I did to try them out. After overpaying for a few I bought @70 for $70 from Amazon. They actually work!! And no more am I a slave to daily sheet washings!! BTW you cannot buy them in the stores. So I contacted the Prevail people to help with the sizing...did not want to be stuck with 70 and they answer you right away and set up a phone call so they can help you.; I have found they run large so my XL husband wears L. Oh and they will send you a sample to try. It is hard to diaper a large man so you certainly deserve a good product. I would rather do that than fool with all of those tubes plus a nurse told me they cause UTI's.. Again JMO!

Oh yes, not sold retail. Amazon or a from a med supply they can give you a list of but those ppl sent me the wrong product. I love amazon anyway.

Condom catheters can contribute to urinary tract infections, rashes and trooublesome leakage as a user twists and turns over during sleep. I keep a jug on the nightstand and haven't spilled a drop in years, even at my worst, preceding DBS.. Hope this helps.

I'm glad you brought up the subject of diapers. My mom has the Prevail super absorbency pulls ups. They are free from the govt. They are pretty thick and good for daytime. At night I use that with either a Tena or tranquility pullup to double the thickness. My poor mom is pretty bulked up and can barely close her legs when she sleeps. Guess what? She still leaks. I have a liner under her so that gets soaked and sometimes when it gets so bad it spreads out to the bedsheets too. Her comforter also gets wet sometimes if it's clinging to the liner. Of course then her Pj's are wet as well and that's when I'm in doing laundry at 2am. there is no way my mom can last through the night with just one set of diapers. On rare occasions while I get her up to the bathroom to change she is dripping through the diapers. My mom doesn't pee much in the daytime. She just seems to store up until at night where she finally lets it all out.

You know what I wish they can invent? Diapers that are super thin and flat until it's soaked. Why should people suffer with the thickness when they haven't even gone yet.

The laundry has been killing me too miracleseeker. You don't want to try the Prevail PM?? Honestly they hold so much and pull the water away from the skin!! We hardly ever have an accident now! Do you mind my asking how you get them free from the govt??

My mom's doctor writes a prescription and sends it to a medical supply place. My mom has govt assistance so they pay for it. She is limited to what we can get for free and the super absorbent ones are the thickest that are free to us. I have to pay for the tena and tranquility on my own. $1 each for the PM is expensive. With coupons and sales for Tena I can get 16 for $10-11 per pack. Tena always have these free coupon offers. I was getting all my friends and relatives addresses to get them to get the coupons for me. I had like 10 bags for free a while ago. Isn't it sad when free diapers seem like gold?

Why are you still doing so much laundry if there are no leaks anymore?

By the way I just looked up the PM on Amazon and didn't realize they are actual diapers. I don't know how to use those since my mom still does use the toilet when I can catch her at the right time but she still goes in the pull ups more.

Well I have only been using the Prevail PM for a couple of weeks so I should have said the laundry was killing me especially when you add the blankets and comforters this winter every blank day! I worn out my five yr old washer and had to research and order one from Home Depot without seeing it just to get one ASAP.

Yes I do think that is expensive BUT they have got to pay fro themselves in the cut down of laundry! And you talked about the thickness...Since a human being called from Prevail and explained how to use them I finally quit using two. Two of any kind just bunches up and allows a place to leak around the leg. One Prevail which has that wicking property of pulling the liquid away from the skin and into the pad PLUS the fact that they have tabs prevents leaking. Usually I don't like tabs but these are more like velcrow than tape...I e you can readjust them if you get it wrong.

My husband was still trying to use the urinal at night but it was one catastrophe after another with his stiffness and weight and falling. So I asked him to blow off the urinal night only and we get hours more of sleep and incredibly less laundry. That's what I would do if I were you especially since you work!

Oh I see what you mean but I don't know how to use real diapers. I tried a few times but since my mom doesn't cooperative then it's useless. I know diapers work better because they cling better. Elle, you do have it tougher taking care of a man. At least with my mom we have the same anatomy and she doesn't weight nearly as much as a man. I gather you take care of him alone? It must really be so tough on you. On all of us. You, Trying Hard, and me and anyone else. We deserve to win the lottery.

Yes, we have it tough. My husband weighs 75 lb more than I do. He went down today because he stood up when I left the bathroom a minute. Four dang hours it took to get him up. A record. No I have no help and do not quality for anything but I am looking at $20 an hour for help. Fear of the future keeps me from spending the rainy day money.

Oh dear. I'm so sorry. I have panic attacks each time I get my mom up from anywhere because I know if I lose her grip for one second she will go down. How did you get him up after all? The longer my mom is on the floor the less chance she will be able to help me get her up because she would be too tired or not care anymore.

Yes of course the patient has it the toughest because they are stuck with the disease. We caregivers are witnesses and handlers. We are also the ones that now and then have thoughts of bailing on them because the stress and never ending drama just keeps coming. At least it is for me. I'll admit it.

Do you remember on the other post someone mentioned paying a person for emergency pick ups? That is worth looking into. $10 a lift. how about that? I too have rainy day $ that I hope to never touch but now that I've hired a full time helper while I'm at work that reserve will be going down fast. You do what you have to do and worry about that stuff later.

It's so nice to have someone care! Thanks! It's 11:30 here and I just now got him fed and to bed. Yikes what a day. I started off by taking him to church...he misses it so much. Over two hours to get him ready then me and we were still late. He loved it though. When home I wanted him to take a nap but no and then all of that other stuff happened.

I am kind of athletic so when he could get on his knees I would get under him and lift him with my back. But he can't even do that so we did a ton of rolling, to the bed where he used to be able to help pull up. I had to let him rest a lot. Finally I dragged his chest and arms into the wheelchair then pushed his butt into bed with my legs.

I was so annoyed with him because it didn't have to happen! If he had just stayed in the wheelchair while I ran a minute to the dryer! He is really going to be sore tomorrow so we won't be going to the store and errands. I need a sitter so badly...more than personal care so I can do errands without having to drag him around. (Although he is so bored he loves to get out.) Remember that thread you wrote good help is hard to find? That's me. I am looking hard for a recommendation. I am afraid of strangers in my house because in Houston we were broken into twice plus I was grabbed jogging and we lived in a "safe" neighborhood! I need to gut up!

You are so right about the stress and drama. For two cents I would run away from home tonight. LOL. SURE!

I completely give you credit for everything you do. $10 lift do not exist. I just meant hiring someone who would only need to help you lift your husband and for $10 each lift. How long have you been doing this for him? You do not have any family to help out? The sad part about hiring someone is that they are only there because you pay them. There is no emotional attachment on their end and also in your case the trust issue. Will this person rob you blind when you leave.

Sorry to read about your struggles. Just wanted to share some information about when your loved one ends up on the floor. Check with your local fire department. They are specifically trained to help lift people off the floor! Call them and ask about non-emergency calls to come to the house to pick up a person who has fallen or slipped to the ground. This will be a free service. I didn't know about this until someone in our support group shared this information with us since her son was a fire fighter. We even had a fire fighter come to our meeting to tell us about this service and to notify the fire department-ask for a non-emergency call to your house. They will come out as soon as they are able if there are no fire calls. I cringed when I read that it took you four hours to get your husband up-and you might have really strained your own back doing this-not good at all-then both of you would be incapacitated.

If any of your spouses are war veterans, i.e. served during actual time of war-Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, etc. there is a program called Aid and Attendance. It's provide by the Veteran's Department and can provide $1100 to $1800 a month depending on your finances. Even if you are receiving social security or other pensions (but not the VA benefit for Parkinson's disability), you are probably eligible because you get to subtract caregiving expenses from your income-which could theoretically end up being zero after you pay caregivng expenses. Your house doesn't count against you. This could be a really beneficial income to your family if you qualify. It is even applicable if you are married to a spouse who qualifies and you are the one who is incapacitated.